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Archived Infant Sleep Forum5 viewing only. To post a new topic go to the Infant Forum Homepage.

Follow-up only - until goals are set (must read)

Posted by Sandman on February 18, 2002 at 11:31:22:

This forum was first established to help parents identify sleep disorders in infants. The goal was to assist in figuring out when their baby might need to be seen by a professional.

Somewhere along the way, it moved from that goal, to either (A)"how to deal with a baby crying" or (B)"my baby is not letting me get enough sleep and I can't stand it anymore (what can I do for me?)".


(A) Babies cry, it happens, whether to act on it or not is usually a judgment call for that particular event and that baby. No one on this forum or a book can tell you why your infant is crying. Some crying can be normal, but it can also be due to pain, discomfort, hunger, need for sleep and the list goes on and on. There is no magic bullet to fix it. If it seems abnormal and you cannot determine the cause then seeking professional help with someone who can examine the child, is probably the best course of action. Asking for advice on any forum from people unfamiliar with your infant is not a good source of information. Remember, all infants are different.

(B) Many infants do not establish a circadian rhythm (biological clock) until they are 6 months of age. Until then you cannot make them sleep when you want them to sleep and you cannot make them hungry. Once the circadian rhythm is established then patterns will develop. But trying to force an infant into a schedule before the circadian rhythm sets in has been proven to be harmful to the infants with many studies to back up this finding.

What I am trying to point out here, is this forum is not about "how can I fix my infant so I can keep my schedule the same as before he or she was born."

The major goal of this forum is to focus on infant sleep disorders, of which there are many. An infant can have just about any disorder an adult can have and then some. How many times on this forum has the question of sleep apnea, periodic movements in sleep (including rhythmic movement disorder and head banging), or SIDS been discussed? I find that only on rare occasions are these subjects brought up even though the seriousness of these conditions far out way situations (A) and (B) above.

Therefore, the title of the forum will change to "Infant Sleep Disorders" and until all the goals of this forum are identified it will be follow-up only.

Hope some of you will understand,

Sandman

Follow Ups:


Archived Infant Sleep Forum5 viewing only. To post a new topic go to the Infant Forum Homepage.
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  • Sleep Deprivation due to Sleep Apnea and insufficient sleep are common and can present as insomnia, narcolepsy, or idiopathic hypersomnia. In infants and children sleep problems commonly present themselves as ADD or ADHD.


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